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!q <br />Tethering Committee Report July 30'x, 2007 <br />The Tethering Committee is recommending a tetberiag ordinance because there is good reason to <br />believe limited or controlled tethering can alleviate the harm to animals and hardship to people that <br />can be associated with the practice of tdhering. By limiting tethering to a given number of hours <br />within a twenty-four -lour period, such an ordinance would reduce the risk of uncontrolled coax <br />between dogs and people, which. is sometimes responsible for dog attaclCS and bites, and it could <br />improve or enhance the overall conditions and care of dogs themselves. <br />Experience of Other Jurisdictions <br />The Tethering Committee's recommendation to limit tethering is not without precedent and is <br />consistent with the efforts of other jurisdictions in North Carolina and beyond to control or prohibit <br />the practice of tethering. These precedents include state laws as well as local ordinances, and <br />together they provide compelling evidence that tethering can be successfully regulated in a variety <br />of different ways.6 <br />As part of its information gathering, the Committee reviewed tethering ordinances in the North <br />Carolina counties of Catawba, New Hanover and Scotland, along with several North Carolina <br />townships, and interviewed officials in tutee of those jurisdictions.' The information gathered in <br />this manner indicates that efforts to restrict or prohibit tethering elsewhere in North Carolina have <br />been quite successful. The ordinances proved to be enforceable, and they appeared to actually <br />reduce rather than increase the tame required by humane investigators to attend to animal <br />complaiats. <br />According to interviews with animal services officials from Catawba County, Now Hanover County <br />and the Town of Laurinburg in Scotland County, there were few, Warty, unintended adverse <br />impacts. Dogs were M surrendered by their owners, euthanized or just set free as a result of the <br />6 Sea hftwJh VOVW.I d*wm maILcom %3 tp&a .!'.Q'1S gjgMW far �TEte Fist of j1II13dic11ops with Whaing <br />ardinsiceL - - - <br />7 See Appends IL North Caroling Crnmties and Townships with Tdhering Ordmenees, and App aft IM Notes fraoi <br />Interviews with Nardi Carolina briActioos vh& Tdhering Ordnancew Combed by the Tiering Committee <br />- 11 <br />61 <br />